- Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool which is called, in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda, having five porches. In these porches lay a great many impotent folks, of blind, lame, withered — waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water. Whoever then first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in was made whole of whatever disease he had.
- And a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. And Jesus saw him lying down and knew that he had been now a long time afflicted. And he said unto him, Do you desire to be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool, but while I am coming, another steps down before me. Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up your bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked. And it was on the Sabbath day. The Jews therefore said unto him who was cured, It is the Sabbath day; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed. He answered them, He who made me whole said unto me, Take up your bed and walk. Then answered they him, saying, What man is he who said unto you, Take up your bed and walk? And he that was healed knew not who it was, for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in the place. Afterward, Jesus finds him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, you are made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you. The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole.
- And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father works hitherto, and I work. Therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he had not only broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
- Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Truly, truly I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do; for whatever things he does, the Son likewise does these also, for the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself does. And he will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For, as the Father raises up the dead and quickens them, even so the Son quickens whom he desires; for the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son, that all should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who honors not the Son honors not the Father who has sent him. Truly, truly I say unto you, He who hears my word and believes on him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death into life.
- Truly, truly I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they who hear shall live. For, as the Father has life in himself, so has he given to the Son to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in their graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth — they who have done good, in the resurrection of the just, and they who have done evil, in the resurrection of the unjust; and shall all be judged of the Son of Man. For as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just. For I can of my own self do nothing, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who has sent me.
- Therefore, if I bear witness of myself, yet my witness is true, for I am not alone: there is another who bears witness of me, and I know that the testimony which he gives of me is true. You sent unto John, and he bore witness also unto the truth. And he received not his testimony of man, but of God. And you yourselves say that he is a prophet, therefore, you ought to receive his testimony. These things I say that you might be saved. He was a burning and shining light, and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than the testimony of John, for the works which the Father has given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father has sent me. And the Father himself who sent me has borne witness of me. And truly I testify unto you that you have never heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape for you have not his word abiding in you, and him whom he has sent, you believe not.
- Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life. And they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me that you might have life, lest you should honor me. I receive not honor from men. But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you.
- I have come in my Father’s name, and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who seek honor one of another and seek not the honor which comes from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is Moses who accuses you, in whom you trust; for had you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?
- After these things, Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain and there he sat with his disciples. And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him, he said unto Philip, Where shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennies worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
- One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, says unto him, There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fishes, but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place, so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were seated, and likewise of the fishes, as much as they desired. When they had eaten and were satisfied, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing should be lost. Therefore, they gathered them together and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is truly that prophet that should come into the world.
- When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. And when evening had now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, and entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near unto the ship, and they were afraid. But he says unto them, It is I; be not afraid. Then they willingly received him into the ship, and immediately the ship was at the land to which they went.
- The day following, when the people who stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, save that one into which his disciples had entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples had gone away alone (nevertheless, there came other boats from Tiberias near unto the place where they did eat bread, after the Lord had given thanks), when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also boarded a ship and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, how did you come here? Jesus answered them and said, Truly, truly I say unto you, you seek me not because you desire to keep my sayings, neither because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labor not for the food which perishes, but for that food which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man has power to give unto you, for him has God the Father sealed.
- Then said they unto him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God: that you believe on him whom he has sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign do you show then, that we may see and believe you? What do you work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Truly, truly I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from Heaven, for the bread of God is he who comes down from Heaven and gives life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, for ever give us this bread.
- And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst; but I said unto you that you also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father gives me shall come to me, and him that comes to me, I will by no means cast out. For I came down from Heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which has sent me: that of all which he has given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me: that everyone who sees the Son and believes on him may have everlasting life. And I will raise him up in the resurrection of the just at the last day.
- The Jews then murmured at him because he said, I am the bread which came down from Heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he says, I came down from Heaven?
- Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come unto me except he does the will of my Father who has sent me. And this is the will of him who has sent me: that you receive the Son, for the Father bears record of him. And he who receives the testimony and does the will of him who sent me, I will raise up in the resurrection of the just. For it is written in the prophets: And these shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore that has heard and has learned of the Father comes unto me (not that any man has seen the Father save he who is of God — he has seen the Father). Truly, truly I say unto you, he that believes on me has everlasting life. I am that bread of life. This is the bread which comes down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead; but I am the living bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
- The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Truly, truly I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up in the resurrection of the just at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eats me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from Heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eats of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum.
- Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is a hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you? What, and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickens, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. (For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him.) And he said, Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except he does the will of my Father who has sent me.
- From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God.
- Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
Chapter 5